Learning Resources

Good Reading

General

• How to Kayak from Paddling.com (including lots of videos)
• Kayaking tips and reflections from the University of Sea Kayaking
• What sort of Kayaking Gear do you need?
• 15 Paddling Essentials
• Sea Kayaker's Handbook and Reference
• Kayaking and White-Water Information Page
• Sea Kayak Buyer's Guide
• Mistakes to Avoid when buying a Sea Kayak
  
• Packing a Kayak for Camping
• How Fear Helps you in the Outdoors
  
• How to Start a Fire in Wet Conditions
• What to know when buying a kayak
• New Kayak?  Tips To Consider Before Jumping In
• Sun Protection for Paddlers
• The Seasick Paddler
• How to Repair a Kayak

Safe Boating

• Rules of the Road for Paddlers 
• Paddling Traffic Rules
• U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
• Local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Classes
• Kayak Safety Essentials
• Basic Canoe (and Kayak) Safety
• Playing it safe on paddle trips
• Maybe more than you wanted to know about PFDs
• How to choose a PFD
• All about deck lines and rigging
• Filming on the Water and Awareness
• Golden Rules of Recreational Kayaking
• Using a VHF radio.  Also here.
• Preparing for things that might go wrong

Cold Water and Immersion Protection

Risk Management Systems

Boat Control

• Understanding weather-cocking and skegs
• How to use a skeg
  
• Edging a Kayak

Navigation/ Planning

• Printing NOAA charts and making custom charts by Peter Carew
• Kayak Navigation (see particularly videos from Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown, Volume 3)
• Tim Mattson's "Navigation for Normal Humans"
• Paddling in fog (if unavoidable)
• Some Buoys & Markers
• Predicting Tidal Currents
• Stay on course using ranges
• Understanding tides

Strokes and Paddling Effectively

• How to Paddle a Tandem Kayak
• Tips for Paddling a Tandem Kayak
  
• Tim Mattson's "Strokes and Maneuvers"
• Paddling effectively
• Paddle Forward, Faster Kayak Technique
• Proper Paddling Technique
• Use "Body English" for more effective paddling
• Staying Upright in a Kayak
• Skills Pyramid
• Strokes Rubric 
• Doing the Forward stroke with Euro, wing, and Greenland paddles

Rescues and Recoveries

• Walking Kayak Deck Lines
• Eskimo Bow Recovery
• Tandem Kayak Reenter and Pump Recovery
• Double Kayak Paddle Float Recovery
• Double Kayak Scoop Rescue/Recovery
  

Rolling

• Roll with It!
• The Kayak Balance Brace and Rolling
• Leg Drop Kayak Roll Technique
• Tips to bomb-proof your roll

Moving Water (Rivers, Ocean Shores)

Ocean Paddling, Surfing & Rock Gardening

• Ten Commandments of sea kayaking
• Scouting Surf
• Safe Surfing
• Kayak Surf Etiquette and Safety
• Safe Surfing Skills
• Sea Kayak Surfing Basics
  
• Learn to Surf Kayak Technique
• Surfing a Sea Kayak
• Sea State Guide
• Rescues and Training for Dynamic Water
• Strokes and Braces for Rock Gardening
• Rock Garden Hiding Places and Transition Zones
• Rock Gardening:  Timing

Weather

• Handling your boat in wind:  Weathercocking
• Beaufort Scale - on water, on land
• Guide to Understanding and Interpreting Canadian West Coast Marine Forecasts Prepared by Bruce Billo.

Training

Please visit our affiliated retailers

Suggested Symposia

• Lumpy Waters
• Paddle Golden Gate (formerly Gold Gate Sea Kayak Symposium)
• Pacific Paddling Symposium
• South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium (SSTIKS)
• Storm Gathering USA
• Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium
  

Organizations offering skill-based instruction and certification

• British Canoeing (BC) training, certification, and membership
• American Canoe Association (ACA), and their online magazine

Greenland Resources

• The forward crunch stroke
• What happens in the Butterfly Roll
• Lots of Resources from Christopher Crowhurst
• Lots of Resources from Qajaq USA

Videos/Animations/Audio

General Skills

• Animated paddling instruction
• ACA Skills Video Demos
• John Dowd's Sea Kayak Video Series:  Getting Started, Navigation, Weather (note that some of the regulations covered are specific to Canada)
• Sea Kayak Podcasts/videos - interviews, tools, how-to, locations, expeditions
• How to Read a Nautical Chart

Paddling in a Group

• 10 tips for kayaking with a group
• How to handle situations when paddling with a group

Getting Started

Safe Boating

The Forward Stroke

• The Forward Stroke
• Forward Stroke Tips
• The Ultimate Forward Stroke
• Refine your Forward Paddle Technique (9 minutes very much worth your time)
• The Kayak Stroke:  Finesse over Power
• Fast, Easy, and Efficient Forward Stroke

The Reverse Stoke

• The Kayak Reverse Stroke
  

Boat Control

• How to Edge and Lean a Kayak
• How to Turn your Kayak
• Boat Handling and Control
• Kayak Sweep Strokes
  
• Corrective Paddle Stroke Tips
• Effective Edging
• The Stern Rudder
• The Low Brace Turn
• The High Brace Turn
• The Bow Draw
• Sea Kayak Sculling Brace/Sculling for Support
• Paddling in Wind and Weather
• How to Paddle in the Wind
• How to Deal with the Wind While Paddling
  

Moving Water

• The Cross-Current Ferry
• Catching an Eddy
• Peeling Out of an Eddy
• The Ideal Eddy Angle
• How to Run Rapids Using Cross Current Speed
  
• How to Read White Water
• Fast Sea Kayak Turns on an Eddy Line
• Recreational Kayaking River Currents
• How not to Flip in Current
• How not to Flip when encountering rock, trees, etc. (broaching)

Ocean Paddling, Surf, etc

• How to Spot a Rip Current
• Understanding Waves for Paddlers
• Launching your Kayak in Rough Conditions
• Getting Through Waves
• How to paddle a Canoe in Waves and Swell
• Rough Water Handling - multiple chapters from DVD
• Paddling Waves into a Beach Landing
• Launching in a Surf Zone
• Landing in the Surf Zone

Recoveries

• How to do Low and High Braces
• High and Low Braces:  The Best Way to Keep Your Kayak From Capsizing
  
• Low Brace Stroke (avoiding need for rescue)
  
• Kayak Bracing Tips
• Tips for an Effective Brace
• Sculling for support to recover from a missed roll
• Sculling and Extreme Sculling

• Rescuing a Swamped Recreational Kayak
• Rescuing a Swamped Rec Boat with an Open Hatch
• How to Self Rescue If You Capsize
  
• How to do a Deep-Water T-rescue
• Paddle Float rescue video 1 and video 2
  
• Paddle Float Self-Rescue Variations
• Paddle Float Heel-Hook Self Rescue
• "Heel Hook" Kayak Assisted Rescue
• The Scoop Rescue
• Hand of God Rescue
• Empty A Flooded Kayak Hatch
• Scramble Self-Rescue
• Skin-on-Frame Kayak Self-Rescue
• Kayak towing techniques
• Master the Contact Tow for Fast Rescues
• How to Build a Contact Tow Line
• Contact Towing
• Anchored Rescue using a Tow Line
• The Psychological Tow
  
• How to repair a kayak on the water
• Worst Case Scenario:  
• Unconscious paddler far from shore
• Rescue when separated from boat far from shore
• 65 Different Rescue Techniques

Rolling

• How To Practice Rolling on Dry Land
• How to Re-enter and Roll
• Common Rolling Mistakes
• Trouble-Shooting the Roll
• More on trouble-shooting the Roll
• Two ways to roll a tandem kayak
• Mastering the Hip Snap
• How to Hand Roll a Kayak
• Tips and Tricks for Rolling Your Kayak
• Rolling in Strong Winds
• The Kayak Roll Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 with Dave Rossetter
• The Kayak Roll with Kent Ford (a classic!)
  

Fun Skills

• How to make a lit deck compass
• Standing up in your Kayak
• The Haghighi Quick Turn
• The Fastest Sea Kayak Turning Stroke - The Deep Diggity Dig
  
• Speed Launch
• The Dump
• High Dock Landing and Launches

Reference

• Lots of skills/howto videos
• Sea States Explained

Inspirational

• Lumpy Waters Video
  
• The Canoe Show - canoe, kayak, racing, etc.
  • Episode 1
  • Episode 2
  • Episode 3

Some commercial videos available locally or online

Instructional

• Nigel Foster's Sea Kayaking Series
• USK's "In Depth" Instructional Video Series
• Sea Kayak with Gordon Brown instructional and travel videos
• Body Boat Blade's "Sea Kayak Rescues" (difficult to find)
• This is the Roll with Cheri Perry & Turner Wilson
• USK's Greenland Rolling videos with Dubside and Maligiaq
• Simplifying the Roll and Yoga for Kayakers from Helen Wilson

Inspirational

• Justine Curgenven's This is the Sea series
• Bryan Smith's "Pacific Horizons" and "Eastern Horizons" (difficult to find)